Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This week included a Sauvignon Blanc from Kristof Nils Anderson who has established his own wine project after years as the founding winemaker at Gargiulo Vineyards and Scribe Wines. He’s crafted a very early-picked Sauvignon Blanc named “Sanna” that will appeal to those looking for sharper, crisper flavors in their Sauvignon Blanc.

I was also happy to receive a bottle of Etna Bianco from Tornatore this week because, let’s face it, when am I not happy to receive a bottle of Etna Bianco. The crisp, stony, saline character of Carricante from Sicily is one of my favorite wine profiles. The Tornatore rendition, their entry-level bottling, is typically tasty, and an excellent value.

I’ve also got some more of the fantastically good wines from Racines, the joint project between Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve of Burgundy and Rodolphe Péters of Champagne. This week I’m recommending two of their single-vineyard Chardonnays from the famed Sanford & Benedict Vineyard and from the Bentrock Vineyard.

The folks at Bartholemew Estate sent through a few samples this week. This reincarnation of a historic Sonoma Wine estate (on the site of the original Sonoma Mission vineyard of 1823, which would eventually be owned by the famed Agoston Haraszthy) makes a wide variety of wines, including the nice red blend they call “Press Release” and a darker more brooding Syrah.

The Spanish region of Rioja has been going through some growing pains in recent years, as younger generations chafe against appellation rules that they believe are biased towards the traditions of the largest producers and which prevent the celebration of individual sites. One of the things that the Rioja DOC has done in response to this has been to create the definition of Viñedos Singulares, or named single vineyards older than 35 years. There are now more than 130 of these designated sites, and one of them owned by Beronia is called Vareia, and it features 50-year old vines of Tempranillo. The wine made from this site is very good and worthy of its vineyard designation. Beronia also sent through their Gran Reserva Tempranillo which is good, but honestly could do with a bit more time in the bottle.

Last but not least, I was sent a (new-to-me) wine from Cliff Lede Vineyards they call Diamond Sky which is inspired in part by the epic Pink Floyd song “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” It’s an opulent, vibrant blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Merlot from two of the winery’s vineyard blocks.

That’s all for this week. Notes on all these wines below.

Tasting Notes

2022 KNA Wines “Sanna” Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of cut grass and green apple. In the mouth, tart green apple and green herb flavors are silky, bright, and even a little sharp thanks to crackling acidity. Lean and somewhat angular. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $42. click to buy.

2023 Tornatore Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon and lime pith with a hint of struck match. In the mouth, saline flavors of lemon peel and grapefruit mix with lime and wet chalkboard as a hint of brimstone lingers in the finish. Excellent acidity. 12.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2022 Racines Wine “Sanford & Benedict Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California
Palest greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of grapefruit and honeysuckle with a hint of candied orange. In the mouth, silky, stony, crystalline flavors of lemon peel, orange peel, white flowers, and lemon oil are bright with vibrant acidity and layered over a wet pavement minerality. 13% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $120. click to buy.

2022 Racines Wine “Bentrock Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon pith and a hint of chopped herbs. In the mouth, zingy bright lemon pith and pomelo flavors are etched in a chalky stony matrix of flavor and texture that tastes filtered through stone. Pithy notes linger through the finish. 13% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $110. click to buy.

2022 Bartholomew Estate “Press Release” Red Blend, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California
Very dark garnet in color, this wine smells of blackberries and blueberries. In the mouth, juicy blackberry and black cherry flavors have a nice brightness thanks to excellent acidity. Thick, leathery tannins coat the mouth and flex their muscles as notes of blueberry and earth linger in the finish. A blend of 76% Syrah, 12% Cabernet, and 12% Zinfandel. Aged in 35% new French oak for 10 months. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $75.

2020 Beronia “Vareia Beronia – Viñedo Singular” Rioja, La Rioja, Spain
Medium to dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry and cedar. In the mouth, juicy acidity makes flavors of cherry, cedar, dried herbs, and citrus peel quite mouthwatering and delicious. Hints of winter savory emerge in the finish along with a touch of alcoholic heat. Very supple, subtle tannins. 100% Tempranillo from a single vineyard planted in 1950. Whole-cluster pressed and fermented in tank. Aged for 12 months in new French oak foudres, and then another 10 months in bottle before release. 14.5% alcohol. 4700 bottles made. Score: around 9. Cost: $80. click to buy.

2016 Beronia “Gran Reserva” Tempranillo, Rioja, La Rioja, Spain
Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of cherry, cola, and dried herbs. In the mouth, cherry and cedar flavors mix with dried herbs and dusty earth. Faint, powdery tannins coat the mouth but stay quite supple as notes of oak linger in the finish. A blend of 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano, and 1% Mazuelo. Spends 18 months in French oak before bottling, and then another 36 months in bottle before release. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $35. click to buy.

2021 Cliff Lede “Rock Block Series – Diamond Sky” Red Blend, Stags Leap District, Napa, California
Very dark, almost opaque garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry and blackcurrant. In the mouth, rich black cherry and blackberry flavors mix with cocoa powder and licorice as powdery tannins coat the mouth. The fruit is ripe and faintly sweet here, made in a crowd-pleasing style. The tannins flex hard with a little time, drying the mouth a bit, and revealing the scents of oak as the wine lingers through a long finish. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot, 17% Malbec, and 1% Merlot, aged for 21 months in 88% new French oak. 14.2% alcohol. 945 cases made. Comes in an overly heavy bottle weighing 1.58 kg when full. Score: around 9. Cost: $115. click to buy.

2021 Bartholomew Estate “Viviano’s Block” Syrah, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California
Inky garnet in the glass, with purple highlights, this wine smells of iodine, blueberries, and blackberries. In the mouth, dense blackberry and blueberry flavors have a dark earthiness to them and fleecy tannins that coat the mouth. There’s a faint salinity here and very good acidity that keeps things fresh despite the darkness of the fruit. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $48.